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Tuesday, CBS' Lara Logan claimed that the President's entire policy for Afghanistan was dependent on McChrystal staying in command. "The strategy needs McChrystal to fight for it and with so much political opposition in Washington it is unclear that it will be able to survive." The switch from McChrystal to Petraeus contradicted Logan's scenario. "One thing the President made clear," noted NBC's Chuck Todd, "he may be changing commanders but not the mission." CBS' Chip Reid pointed out that Petraeus himself was "a chief architect" of the policy McChrystal had been implementing.
ABC devoted most time to McChrystal. Jake Tapper, its man at the White House, saw the general's career come "to an abrupt and inglorious end." In a Defining Moments feature, anchor Diane Sawyer introduced historian Doris Kearns Goodwin (a longtime consultant for NBC News when Tim Russert was DC Bureau chief) to compare McChrystal & Obama with McClellan & Lincoln, and MacArthur & Truman. The Three Macs! Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopoulos commented that "McChrystal made it easy for the President. He did not put up much of a fight."
ABC's David Muir noted that McChrystal, the son of a general, had a self-image as a "superhuman commander" who famously joined subordinates on commando raids in the dark of night. Muir argued that McChrystal was "a leader, defined by his discipline, now punished for the few moments he wavered from it." That is a controversial reading of the storm caused by the Rolling Stone profile. Rather than indiscipline, it seems that the general's downfall was his decision to surround himself with aides who have no respect for the civilian chain of command. Listen to Muir's quote from McChrystal himself: "The pride I have always taken is when you build a team." His own team sabotaged him.
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